Centering device for card-index rods.



No. 892,488. PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

- P. H. YAWMAN. OENTERING DEVICE FOR CARD INDEX RODS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1906.

2 SHEETB-SHEET l.

- noowto'c swimmo I 1 a abmwuq PATENTED JULY '7, 1908.

P. H. YAWMAN.

(ENTERING DEVICE FOR CARD INDEX RODS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.21, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3 run 11 l'oz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP II. YAWMAN, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO YAWMAN & ERBE MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1908.

Application filed November 21, 1906. Serial No. 344,390.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP H. YAWMAN, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centering Devices for Card-Index Rods; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and to the reference numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to improvements in card indexes and other filing de vices employing a substantially flat or angular shaped securing or looking rod, which is adapted to cooperate directly with the cards or other documents to be secured from re moval, the cards having suitably formed slots whereby they will be secured when the rod occupies one position and will be .released and can be removed when the rod has been rotated to another position, and the object of the present invention is to provide a simple and eflicient device for securing or centering the rod in looking and released positions respectively so that the operator may know when this rod is in locked and released positions without the necessity of inspecting the interior of the drawer, and accidental turning movement of the rod is prevented.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents a plan view of a filing device having my present improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents a central longitudinal section of the drawer shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a section taken transversely of the filing device shown in Fig. 1, the retaining rod being shown in locked position. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing the centering device on an enlarged scale. 5 shows the manner in which the relatively fixed member of the centering device is applied to the front of the drawer, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the forward portion of the rod showing the centering devices thereon.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similar parts.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention is applicable generally to various kinds of indexes or filing devices employing a retaining device which is constructed and arranged so that when it is rotated into one position, the papers or other devices contained in the file will be secured from removal or displacement while rotation into another position will release or unlock the cards or other devices, and the present embodiment of the invention is shown applied to an ordinary card index file or drawer embodying generally the side pieces 1 and 2 connected at their ends by the front and rear end pieces 3 and 4, the whole being provided with a bottom 5 having a guide or track 6 of any desired form and with which the card follower 7 cooperates, the latter being pro vided with a suitable clamping device 8 by means of which this follower may be secured at any desired point in a direction longitudinally of the drawer.

The retaining or looking rod 9 in the present instance is flat and it passes freely through the aperture 10 in the follower and has its rear end journaled or guided to turn in a ferrule or bearing 11 fitted in the rear or end piece 4 of the drawer. The forward end of this rod is reduced at 12 to form a journal and beyond this journal is provided a knob or operating head 13 arranged to project forwardly from the forward end piece 3 of the drawer. The forward end of the retaining rod is supported by a bearing plate 14 which has a bearing adapted to cooperate with the journal 12 of the rod and also to abut against the rear end of the knob or operating head, as well as the SllOUlClGfS 15 of the rod, to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the latter and this hearing plate is secured by screws or other means to the front of the drawer. In rear of this hearing plate is provided a recess 16 and within this recess are fitted the parts of the centering device. This device in the present instance comprises a relatively fixed member 17 having an aperture 18 through which the rod )asses and is free to turn. A pair of oppositeily extending projections 19 and 20 on this member rest in a seat provided by correspondingly arranged recesses 21 and 22 in the front of the drawer which prevent a turning movement thereof. The cooperating member of the centering de vice embodies a spring pressed follower 23 which is arranged to turn with the rod, and for this purpose is provided with a slot 24 and the recesses 27 of the spring ance with my invention and applied to retain filing device or within which the rod closely fits. This memj ber is operable in a direction longitudinally of the rod and is normally pressed into cooperative relation with the relatively fixed member 17 by means of a suitable spring, a helical compression spring 25 being employed in the present instance which encircles the rod and has its ends engaging respectively the bearing plate 14 and the relatively mov able centering member. These members are provided with cooperating projections and recesses which are arranged with respect to the relation of the rod and the cooperating slots in the cards or papers to be secured, the relatively fixed member in the present instance being provided with ridges 26 which are formed by crimping the material of the member on its diameter and the other member is provided with corresponding recesses 27 and 28 which in the present instance are also formed by clamping the material of this member on the diameters of the member intersecting at right angles. vi hile the member 17 if provided with the projections and the movable member is provided with recesses, of course it will be understood that the arrangement of these recesses and depressions can be reversed, if desired.

The flat rod when its broader surfaces are arranged inhorizontal planes, as shown in Fig. 3, will serve to prevent removal or displacement of the cards or other devices which it is employed to secure and at this time the ridges or raised portions 26 of the member 17 will rest in the corresponding recesses 28 in the spring pressed member 23 so that turning movement of'the rod is resisted by the action of the spring 25 which serves to retain these centering devices or members in cooperating relation. However, a positive turning efi'ort applied to the knob or operating head 13 will serve to readily disengage these ridges and depressions enabling the rod to be given a quarter turn, bringing the fiat surfaces of the rod into a vertical plane and when the rod is in this position the cards may be readily withdraw'n, as will be obvious, and the rod will be retained in this position to facilitate the withdrawal and insertion of cards by the cooperative relation of the ridges or projections 26 from the members 17 pressed member of the centering device and of course the rod may be returned at securing and locking position by a positive turning effort, as above described.

A centering device constructed in accord a locking rod of the class described, serves to effectually retain the rod in its different adjusted positions and it is simple in construction, enabling it to be manufactured very cheaply and is so compact that it may be arranged wholly within the walls of the drawer so that it will not encroach on the space intended for the cards or other papers, and it is entirely invisible so that drawers equipped with this device are comparatively neat in appearance.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a filing device, the combination with a suitable card receptacle, and a retaining rod secured against longitudinal movement mounted therein and adapted to lock and unlock the cards by a rotary movement said rod being provided with an integral operatportion extending exteriorly of the casing, of a device for yieldingly holding the rod in locked and unlocked positions embodying a member rotatable with the rod, a cooperat ing non-rotatable member, said members being provided with cooperating projections and recesses.

2. In a filing device, the combination with a suitable card receptacle, and a retaining rod mounted therein and adapted to lock and unlock the cards by a rotary movement said rod being provided with an integral operating portion extending exteriorly.

of the casing, of a device for yieldingly holding the rod in locked and unlocked positions embodying a relatively fixed non-rotatable member, a movable member rotatable with the rod, cooperating centering projections and recesses being provided on said mem bers, and a spring operating on said movable member for holding the latter in cooperative relation with the said fixed member.

3. In a filing device, the combination with a suitable receptacle, and a rod for retaining cards or similar devices therein, and having a portion thereon angular in cross section, said rod being capable of locking and unlocking the cards by a rotary movement, of a device for yieldingly centering the rod in locked and unlocked positions embodying a nonrotatable member, a cooperatively arranged member mounted to rotate with the rod and to operate on the angular-shaped portion thereof, said members having cooperating projections and recesses, and a spring operating to yieldingly hold said members in cooperative relation.

4. In a filing device, the combination with a suitable receptacle adapted to contain cards and the like and a flat rod rotatably mounted therein and adapted to lock and unlock the cards when rotated into difierent positions, of a device for yieldingly centering said rod in locked and unlocked positions embodying a non-rotatable member, a member rotatable with the rod and movable longitudinally thereof, cooperating ribs and depressions being formed on said members, and arranged in accordance with the locked and unlocked positions of the rod, and a spring encircling said rod and serving to retain said movable member in cooperative relation with the fixed member.

5. In a filing device, the combinationwith a suitable receptacle having end pieces, a fiat card retaining rod rotatably mounted in said end pieces and adapted to lock and unlock the cards by a rotary movement, a bearing vplate secured to one of the end pieces and cooperating with said rod and an operating knob or handle in said rod in front of said plate, of a device for yieldingly centering the rod in locked and unlocked positions embodying a plate loosely fitted over the rod and securec from rotation, a cooperatively arranged plate having an aperture therein corres ending to the cross section of the rod, said p ates being provided with cooperating projections and recesses, and a spring encircling the rod between the said bearing plate and the removable centering plate and serving to yieldingly press the latter into cooperative relation with the non-rotatable late.

6. In a filing device, the combination with a card receptacle having a recess in a wall thereof and a retaining rod mounted in the receptacle to extend through the recess and adapted to lock and unlock the cards throu h a rotary movement, of a device for yieldingly holding the rod in locked and unlocked positions embodying a fixed member arranged in the recess and a relatively movable member carried on the rod, said members being pro vided with cooperating projections and recesses.

7. In a filing device, the combination with a card receptacle and a retaining rod adapted to lock and unlock the cards by a rotary movement, mounted therein and having an integral operating portion on the exterior of the receptacle, said rod being retained against longitudinal movement, of adevice for holding the rod in locked and unlocked positions embodying a member rotatable with the rod and movable relatively thereto and a nonrotatable member, said members being provided with normally cooperating projections and recesses disengaged by rotataion of the operating portion of the rod.

PHILIP H. YAWMAN.

Witnesses:

CLARENCE A. BATEMAN, RUssELL B. GRIFFITH. 

